Turbine



June 22, "1937.

C. F. PIPER TURBINE Filed Oct. 10, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor June 22,1937. c. F. PIPER TURBINE filed Oct. 10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I I MN I l FIG. 2

. INl ENTOR.

CARL [PIPE BY I , HIS ATTORNEY.

Jtme22, 1937. c. F.. PIPER 2,034,594

' TURBINE Filed Oct. 10, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet s Arne/v5);

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Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE TURBINE Carl F. Piper, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 10, 1934, Serial N0. 747,776

7 Claims.

My invention relates generally to turbine engines or motors, and particularly to a turbine adapted to be actuated by steam or some other motive fluid, and an important object of the invention is to provide a turbine which excels in compactness, lightness in weight, and in the production of relatively great power considering its size and weight.

Another important object of my invention is to provide in a turbine of the character described above, relatively great simplicity in construction, which is capable of being more efiiciently manufactured at relatively lower cost, and reduces the amount of time and skill required for assembling and repair.

'It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a turbine of the character described an arrangement of rotor and stator which automatically takes up end thrust in opposite directions, thereby more easily maintaining an efficient pressure seal therebetween.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a turbine of the character described a construction of rotor in which all of the blades thereof are integrally or may be integrally cast therewith, and in which the stator may have cast integral therewith or separate and attached. thereto, the reaction blades, and the nozzle blocks.

Another important object of my invention is to provide in a turbine construction of the character described above, an arrangement to take advantage of and provide for three stages of expansion of the actuating fluid, wherein the actuating 'fiuid moves radially outwardly with respect to the rotor. Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the embodiment showing a portion thereof broken away along a'sinuous section line through the steam passage to disclose the interior construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower half of the casing.

Figure 3 is a view of the stationary blades and of the outer ring of blades, taken along line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sideelevational view of one of the nozzle-blocks.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the steam chest.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the rotor shaft and showing in elevation the right side of the rotor. 5

Figure 7 is a fragmental marginal end view of the stationary blade ring, taken along line 'l'l of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmental end view of the outer rotor blade ring.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 refers generally to the casing of the turbine which comprises the upper section 6 and the lower section 1, the lower section 1 resting on a suitable support 8 which contains left and right bearing structures 9, I0 journalling the rotor shaft H which passes through packing arrangements 12, [3 half of which are located in the upper section 6 and half in the lower casing section 1 as shown in Figure 1. 20

Located at the axial center of the casing between the sections of the rotors to be described is the steam-chest M which has the annular chamber l5 therein which is inverted Y-shaped in cross section and this chamber receives the steam from the boiler (not shown) through the steam inlets l6 which communicate with the chamber l5 as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

On each side of the steam-chest and set thereinto as shown in Figure 1 are the annular nozzle blocks ii, iii which have the small end of a diverging nozzle opening I 9 registered with one arm' of the Y-shaped chamber 15 as shown in Figure 1. Also set into the side of the steamchest in a position radially outwardly of the nozzle blocks are the stator blade rings 20 containing the guide blades 2|, and above these guide blades are arranged the rotary third stage blade rings 22 secured to the rotor by means of machine bolts 22'. The axially inward face of the blade rings 22 are rabbeted with respect to the steam chest 14 and the stationary blade rings 20 as shown, to minimize the escape of steam.

The rotor 50 has the J-shaped passages 23 communicating at the end 24 with the openings H in the nozzle blocks and the angulated vertically disposed opening 25 which is adapted to register with the lower end 26 of the passages between the guide blades 2|, and the upper ends of the passages defining the guide blades communicate with the lower end of the passages 21 which separate or define the third stage rotor blades 28.

The steam entering the steam-chest chamber passes through the nozzle blocks on opposite sides of the steam-chest, acts on the first stage blades in the passage 23 of the rotor, then in the second stage acts on the guide blades, and in the third stage acts on the blades of the third stage and passes into the exhaust chambers which are arranged axially outwardly of the rotor as. indicated at 3B, 3! in Figure 2. The casing exhaust opening 33 is clearly shown in Figure 2 and this leads into the exhaust outlet 35 which is arranged in the bottom or" the casing as shown in Figure 1.

Access may be had to the interior of the turbine simply by removing the bolts 36 which connect the respective flanges 3?, 38 of the upper and lower halves of the casing respectively.

When the steam from the boiler has entered the steam-chest chamber is, the steam will divide through the arms of the chamber and expand through the nozzle blocks and act upon the impulse blades of the first stage on the rotor, and after acting on the impulse blades, the steam Will pass through the continuous channel in the reverse direction, and in leaving this channel will react against the stator or guide blades, and then change direction and work against the last stage or the outermost rotor blades and then pass into the exhaust chambers. All clearances between the nozzle blocks, the first, second and third stages are interlocked as shown in Figure 1, so as to prevent all but a fraction of a steam from escaping therebetween. It will be observed that the course of the steam is toward the center of the turbine and then radially outwardly, expanding in successive stages.

The turbine may be operated in a reverse direction by introducing steam through the inlet 4i into the chamber 42, from which it issues axially inwardly through annular nozzle blocks 43 and nozzles 44, and acts upon rotor blades 45, which are shaped to impart to the rotor a motion opposite to that imparted by the steam which issues from the nozzles [9. During such operation the supply of steam to the steam-chest I4 is, of course, shut off.

Among the advantages of the construction are that both of the rotors are fastened to the shaft with the steam-chest therebetween. This entire assembly may be dropped into the lower half of the casing wherein it is self aligning by reason of the presence of the guide ribs 66 on'the interior of the casing. The self-aligning bearings 9 and it] are arranged on the outside of the casing, and outside of these bearings there is nothing of the turbine exposed except the pipes which convey the steam to and away from the casing. The third stage blades of the annulus 22 may be cast integral with the rotor if desired.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in materials and in the structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A steam turbine comprising a stator containing a steam chest arranged for connection to a supply of steam, a rotor rotatably mounted alongside said stator, laterally opening nozzles on said stator, blade-equipped steam expansion and reaction means on said rotor and stator in steam receiving relation to said laterally opening nozzles, said means having portions extending axially inwardly with respect to the openings of said nozzles in a manner to overlap said nozzles to prevent escape of steam, and second blade-equipped reaction means on said stator and located between and axially overlapped by radially inwardly and radially outwardly extending parts of the first mentioned means.

2. A steam turbine comprising a stator containing a steam chest arranged for connection to a supply of steam, a rotor rotatably mounted alongside said stator, laterally opening nozzles on said stator, blade-equipped steam expansion and reaction means on said rotor and stator in steam receiving relation to said laterally opening nozzles, said means having portions extending in axial directions and overlapping said nozzles to prevent escape of steam in radial directions, and second blade-equipped reaction means on said stator and located between and overlapped in axial directions by radially inward and radially outward parts of the first mentioned means, a portion of the said radially inward parts being formed to direct the expanded steam in a reverse axial direction into Working contact with said second reaction means on the stator.

' 3. A steam turbine comprising a stator containing a steam chest arranged for connection to a supply of steam, a rotor rotatably mounted alongside said stator, laterally opening nozzles on said stator, blade-equipped steam expansion and reaction means on said rotor and stator in steam receiving relation to said laterally opening nozzles, said means having portions extending in axial directions and overlapping said nozzles to prevent escape of steam in radial directions, and second blade-equipped reaction means on said stator and located between and overlapped in axial directions by radially inward and radially outward parts of the first mentioned means, a portion of the said radially inward parts being formed to direct the expanded steam in a reverse axial direction into working contact with said second reaction means on the stator, and said second reaction means being formed to direct the steam in a radially outward direction into working relation with said radially outward parts of the rotor.

4. A turbine comprising a casing, a stator mounted in said casing and including an interior steam chest arranged for connection with a supply of steam under pressure, said stator having side openings leading from said steam chest, a nozzle block stationarily mounted on said stator and formed with nozzles fed with steam issuing from said side openings, a series of radially outwardly and axially inwardly curved passages defining stationary guide blades mounted on said stator radially outwardly of said nozzles, a rotor rotatably supported in said casing concentric with said stator, said rotor including radially outwardly and axially inwardly curved second passages defining blades and arranged to register their radially inward ends with said'nozzles and to register their radially outward ends with the first passages defining said stationary guide blades thereby defining a continuous, uninter-' piston effect for rotating said rotor, acting through three successive expansion stages.

5. A steam turbine of the character described comprising a stator including a steam chest connected to a steam pressure supply and having opening means in one axial end, a rotor rotatably supported concentrically to said stator and formed with two series of passages located in radially spaced concentric rings, the radially inward ends of the outer series terminating in spaced relation to the radially outward ends of the inner series, nozzle means on said stator fed by said opening means and feeding the radially inward end of such of the inner series of passages as may be registered therewith, stationary guide vanes on said stator and located between said outer and inner series of passages, said guide vanes being defined by passages having their radially outward ends registrable with the radially inward ends of the outer series of passages and their radially inward ends registrable with the radially outward end of the inner series of passages, the passages forming when registered a continuous conduit for the steam, said conduit tending in axially outward, then radially outward, then axially inward, then radially outward directions with respect to said stator and steam chest.

6. A steam turbine comprising an annular stator extending substantially transversely to the axis of the turbine, nozzle means on said stator, means for supplying steam to said nozzle means, a. rotor mounted alongside of and concentric to said stator provided with a plurality of series of passages located in radially spaced concentric circles, said passages tending radially outwardly and being shaped to rotate said rotor by the action of the steam supplied to said nozzle means, stationary guide vanes on said stator located between adjacent series of passages in said rotor, the inlet ends of the radially inward series of passages being registrable with said nozzle means, said guide vanes defining passages for changing the direction of the steam flowing therethrough. and having their radially inward ends registrable with the radially outward ends of one adjacent series of passages in the rotor, and their radially outward ends registrable with the radiallyinward ends of the other adjacent series of passages in the rotor, the passages forming, when registered, a continuous conduit for the steam tending generally radially outwardly from said nozzle means to the radially outer series of passages in said rotor, said outer series of passages being provided with means axially overlapping the radially inwardly adjacent stationary guide vanes, thereby preventing the escape of steam between said rotor and. said adjacent stationary guide vanes.

'7. The turbine according to claim 6 in which said means axially overlapping the radially adjacent stationary guide vanes comprises a ring rabbeted with respect to said stator.

CARL F. PIPER. 

